John Gordon, 1st Baronet of Haddo

John, who was retoured heir general to his grandfather,
11 May 1630, and had charter of novodamus of the lands and
barony of Haddo, 4 July 1636. He was appointed next in
command to the Marquess of Huntly over the forces raised
to oppose the Covenanters, and was present at the action
at Turreff, 1639. He joined the Royal Standard at Newark
in 1642, and, after being engaged in several operations, was
sent to Scotland as Lieutenant under George, Marquess of
Huntly.

He was created by King Charles by letters patent, dated
at York, 13 August 1642, a Knight Baronet of Scotland,
with remainder to the heirs male of his body. The Marquess
of Huntly and Sir John Gordon were excommunicated by the
General Assembly, 14 April 1644. Sir John was besieged in
his house of Kellie in May following, and the garrison failing
him, had to surrender to Argyll and a large force. The fine
'Place of Kellie,' a sumptuously furnished house was completely destroyed, and the surrounding country devastated. He was taken prisoner to Edinburgh and was indicted for
high treason. He produced the King's Commission and
pleaded the Act of Pacification, but without avail. The
Estates of Parliament passed an Act, 29 June 1644, having
retrospective effect, and Sir John was arraigned, found
guilty, and forfeited. He was thereupon executed, com-
mending his soul to God, and his six children to His
Majesty's care, confessing his sins, but denying that he
had transgressed the laws of his country. In the subse-
quent patent of the Earldom of Aberdeen his services and
death are narrated at length 'so that it may be very
justly said that he died a Martyr for us and our Crown.'

Sir John married Janet, daughter of William Forbes of
Tolquhoun, and had issue:-